Alcohol scanning hypocritical: CLP

The Northern Territory Government is confident new laws forcing people to show identification when buying takeaway alcohol will help control alcohol abuse.

Parliament has passed the legal framework for licensees in Katherine and Alice Springs to ask anyone buying alcohol to provide identification.

The electronic scanning system is still being rolled out but will show whether a person is restricted from buying alcohol.

The Minister for Alcohol Policy Chris Burns says it will limit problem drinkers' access to alcohol.

"This system will enable better enforcement of orders put through the alcohol courts, whether it be alcohol intervention orders or prohibition orders and I think it's also a good system to ensure that restrictions around products, say wine casks, one cask per person per day, can be enforced also."

The Territory Opposition says if the Government's serious about stopping problem drinkers buying alcohol it should use the system in Darwin.

The CLP's Matt Conlan says it is also hypocritical, given the Labor Government was opposed to people having to show identification under the former Howard government's federal intervention.

ABC News